UNIVERSITY MUSEUM

The University Museum serves Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the greater Southern Illinois community and beyond as a steward of the past and a gateway to the future.

Description

The University Museum, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, began in 1874 when classes first opened for then, Southern Illinois Normal University. Since it's beginning in the sciences, the Museum has expanded to include the humanities and arts. The Museum offers public exhibits from it's collections, traveling exhibits, and features collections from regional collectors and works by University and area artists.

The University Museum has been a repository of artifacts since Dr. Cyrus Thomas was commissioned to begin collecting for a museum by the first board of Trustees of Southern Illinois Normal University some time before 1871. The Museum formally opened to the public in 1874 and was located in the first Old Main Building. Since then, it has occupied 11 different locations across campus. The Museum has been located in Faner Hall since 1974. The American Association of Museums has accredited the University Museum since 1977. The Museum's 130th Anniversary Year was in 2004.

The Museum Studies Program at SIUC provides an undergraduate interdisciplinary minor. A special graduate program is available for students with interest in museum administration, leading to a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree offered by the Department of Political Science.

The University Museum occupies the first floor of the north wing of Faner Hall. This multipurpose building, in addition to the Museum, houses primarily the College of Liberal Arts. Completed in 1974, Faner Hall is an award winning design in the "brutalism" architectural style popular in the mid to late 20th Century. The University Museum has 10,000 square feet of exhibition space in two halls, North and South.

You are invited to take this online tour of the facilities. We hope that you will then visit the University Museum to enjoy the full effect of what is offered.